Indian Rocks Beach: Three vying for two seats tackle development issue
The candidates generally voice support for variances granted only by a supermajority.
By ANDREW MEACHAM
Published March 3, 2004
INDIAN ROCKS BEACH - Three familiar faces are competing for two seats on the City Commission.
Incumbents R.B. Johnson, 42, and Jeremiah Carmody, 39, are nearing the end of their two-year terms. Joanna "Cookie" Kennedy, 43, is seeking a return to the position she held as vice mayor for nearly two years. Kennedy resigned in November 2002 to run for the Florida Senate. She tried to get her old seat back, but the commission deadlocked on her appointment.
Four commissioners and the mayor decide on issues. Candidates differ somewhat on a proposed amendment to the city's charter that would require a supermajority - at least four out of five votes - before granting a variance that allows a building to go higher, or pack in more units, than codes allow. The referendum, on the March 9 ballot, also applies to any relaxation of the codes themselves.
Implications spread up and down Gulf Boulevard, where several condominium projects are about to break ground. All three candidates reported that losing a small-town feel to rows of buildings, perhaps taller than those allowed today, ranks high among voter concerns.
Carmody supports the referendum, saying that higher taxes and pressure from investors are driving small businesses out of town. "The bottom line is, Indian Rocks Beach has a brief window of opportunity to preserve our small-town amenities while improving our image."
Kennedy said she thinks the amendment championed by Commissioner Bill Ockunzzi is well-intended and important: "In theory, I think it's a great idea."
Even so, "My father taught civics in middle school, and he always wanted us to acknowledge that American government is based on the simple majority." Kennedy questioned whether the amendment could stand up in court.
Johnson said he has reservations about supermajorities as well. "But in this instance ... the four out of five commissioners is warranted because if you make a mistake and allow, say, a taller building to be built or a bigger building than we would normally allow, you're stuck with it. You can't turn around a year later and reverse your decision."
Johnson said his civic involvement and ties in the community through his family add to his credentials. "This place is my home, I've got deep roots here and I don't want to see it change rapidly."
Carmody said he wants to return more control of the community - and tax dollars - to residents. To emphasize the point, he said he gives all of his $323-a-month commissioner's salary to charity, and has challenged other commissioners to do the same. He has created and run a Web site, www.indian-rocks-beach.com which the city may soon take over.
Kennedy said she wants "smart growth" along Gulf Boulevard, a concept that would emphasize mixed-use development, burying utility lines, and measuring the cost to the city of a proposed development against its eventual return in taxes.
While candidates say residents are concerned about unchecked development, one group has formed to stop the proposed charter amendment. Evelyn Page represents Concerned Citizens for Fairness in Government.
Page, an Indian Shores real estate agent who owns property in Indian Rocks Beach, said the proposal will stall growth by giving any two commissioners the power to kill a developer's request. "This is really a power play to control the city by the minority," she said. "What it's going to do is shut things down."
